Ex-footballer makes history as first female to qualify for elite level of Call of Duty
dailyrecord.co.ukFootballer turned gamer Kelsie ‘Kels’ Grieg has made history by becoming the first woman in the world to qualify to play Call of Duty at elite level.The 22-year-old, from Aberdeen, started playing the popular video game six years ago when a serious groin injury meant she had to give up her promising football career.But Kels, who played for Scotland Women’s Under 17s, used the skills she honed on the pitch to see off her Call of Duty rivals in the super-competitive world of esports and is now at the top of her game.The former Hazlehead Academy pupil is being hailed as an “inspiration” for blazing a trail for female players in the male-dominated world of online gaming.Kels, who has been nominated for a Sunday Mail Young Scot Award, said: “It took a while to sink in that I had qualified for the Call of Duty Challengers Elite tournament nevermind that I was the first woman ever to do so.
To be honest, I qualified in January and it is still sinking in.“I truly hope me getting this far on the world stage will encourage other females to get involved - I want to rubbish the stereotypes that people have, especially in such a male-dominated scene.“There’s always been some sort of stereotypes around women competing in esports and whilst I’ve experienced some of that in Call of Duty, for the most part the community has always been welcoming.“Yes online gaming is a terrifying male-dominated world but if I can conquer it so can others.
I might have been the first female to get this far but I hope I won’t be the last.“My next goal is to become the first woman to play in the pro-league and I’m determined to score it.
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